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Casey Winters on When and How to Create Your Second Product at Lean Product Meetup

Casey Winters on When and How to Create Your Second Product at Lean Product Meetup

46 segments available

Casey Winters gave this talk " When and How to Create Your Second Product" at Lean Product Meetup on June 18, 2024. About Casey Winters Casey Winters is an experienced operator and advisor helping companies scale. Casey led demand side growth at Grubhub from series A to IPO, led the growth product team at Pinterest from 40 mil to 150 mil MAU, and then worked as Chief Product Officer at Eventbrite during the pandemic. In each of these roles, Casey led major expansion efforts that led to growth (driving Grubhub from 3 cities to 1,000+), user behavior optimization (including increasing sign-up conversion 5x and doubling activation rate at Pinterest), and pivots (refocusing Evenbrite’s strategy to outlast the pandemic difficulties and become cash flow positive). Today, Casey works as a strategic advisor for tech startups, and has worked with companies such as Airbnb, Canva, Faire, Whatnot, reddit, Tinder as well as the venture firm Greylock Partners. If you would like to see more videos like this check out the following talks from past months: ▶ “Product is Hard” by Inspired Author Marty Cagan https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gCYFmrvPI8Q ▶ "Product Strategy: The Missing Link" by Inspired Author Marty Cagan https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x4H_gluZI10 ▶ “Jobs to Be Done” by Tony Ulwick: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qQFUHapOJsQ ▶ "Crossing the Chasm" by Geoffrey Moore https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=887i04NjDjc ▶ "How to Iterate & Improve Your Product with Rapid User Testing" by Dan Olsen https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SFpKtu3OgOA ▶ "Mastering the Problem Space to Achieve Product-Market Fit" by Dan Olsen https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bDUrQlmwox4&t=394s ▶ Jake Knapp about his new book “Make Time” : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q4Sx9o85y-s ▶ Using Data to Set Your Product Strategy by Justin Bauer, who is the VP of Product at Amplitude: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H8XQVQy8Xiw ▶ For upcoming videos like this, subscribe to our channel: https://youtube.com/danolsen ▶ Lean Product was founded by Dan Olsen https://dan-olsen.com. ▶ Learn more about Lean Product Meetups at https://meetup.com/lean-product #DanOlsen #LeanProductMeetup #ProductManagement

Segments Timeline

1
0:05 - 0:49
0:44 duration178 words

Introducing Casey Winters

In this segment, the host introduces Casey Winters, a growth expert and advisor with a rich background in scaling companies like Grubhub and Pinterest. The introduction sets the stage for Casey's insights on creating a second product, emphasizing the transition from first to second product development.

"I'm super excited to host Casey again thanks for coming down from the city to do this um he's a teacher reforge he's a growth expert and adviser I'm sure you've read his he's got you know great posts ..."

2
0:49 - 1:59
1:09 duration264 words

The Challenge of Building a Second Product

Casey discusses the common focus on launching the first product and the subsequent challenge of developing a second product. He shares his experiences and the importance of understanding when and how to expand product offerings to ensure long-term growth.

"you hey everybody how's it going I don't have a book to sell you today uh I just have a bunch of random thoughts uh from a lot of pain uh trying to te startups growing for the long term which a lot of..."

3
1:59 - 3:31
1:31 duration347 words

Defining Product-Market Fit

In this segment, Casey defines product-market fit, explaining that it is not just about exceeding customer expectations but ensuring customers find enough value to remain engaged. He emphasizes the need for continuous improvement to maintain product-market fit over time.

"a team to work the second product how do you figure out the process and what are kind of some failure modes you might want to be paying attention to so uh that's that's what we're going to talk about ..."

4
3:31 - 5:34
2:03 duration496 words

Types of Product Work

Casey outlines four types of product work: features, growth, scaling, and expansion. He explains how each type plays a role in product development and the importance of focusing on expansion once product-market fit is achieved.

"and I'm sure you've all have used products that have had that so when you found product Market fit most of the time you've done this as a Founder like you're working on you just by iterating a lot you..."

5
5:34 - 7:14
1:40 duration319 words

The Need for Multi-Product Strategies

Casey discusses the necessity of having a multi-product strategy to achieve IPO success in today's competitive landscape. He highlights the challenges of relying on a single product and the importance of expanding into new markets and segments.

"because there's so much room for the product you found product Market fit in to find the audience it should theoretically work for uh but of course you know that will end over time okay um one of the ..."

6
7:14 - 9:02
1:48 duration385 words

Types of Expansion Strategies

In this segment, Casey elaborates on various expansion strategies, including geographic and category expansion. He emphasizes the importance of replicating successful playbooks in new markets while minimizing product changes.

"just just five in YC right now it's crazy um the also the incumbents you're dealing with the ones that are not in YC and the medallas of the world the product board whatever uh they're not asleep at t..."

7
9:02 - 11:43
2:40 duration576 words

Product Value Expansion Explained

Casey introduces the concept of product value expansion, where companies leverage existing customer bases to introduce new products. He provides examples of successful expansions, such as HubSpot and Uber, and discusses the challenges involved.

"of the product as possible process right so what you see here are the attributes of these different types of expansions is is my product changing is the market uh I'm targeting changing and are the co..."

8
11:43 - 14:55
3:12 duration701 words

Modeling Growth and Predicting Slowdowns

In this final segment, Casey emphasizes the importance of modeling growth curves to predict when product growth may slow down. He shares insights from his experience at Eventbrite, highlighting the need for proactive investment in new products to maintain growth momentum.

"your Market sorts of shift of well I'm still selling to my existing Market but I'm also kind of selling to developers and that's kind of the new market which is why that's mixed and you're ask to buil..."

9
15:57 - 17:01
1:04 duration219 words

The Timing of New Product Development

Casey emphasizes the critical timing for launching new products, advising that the best time to start is now, while the second-best time was three years ago. He discusses the importance of dedicating resources to second product development early on to avoid falling behind in the market. This segment provides insights into strategic planning for product launches.

"complicated model uh but it's still really optimized about how do we get more creators how do we posting more events and then when they post an event how do we make sure they sell as many tickets as p..."

10
17:01 - 18:49
1:47 duration398 words

Consumer vs. B2B Product Strategies

In this segment, Casey contrasts the strategies for consumer businesses versus B2B companies when considering new product launches. He explains how consumer businesses should focus on scaling their core products to achieve network effects, while B2B companies need to quickly develop a suite of products to compete effectively. This discussion highlights the different growth dynamics in various business models.

"been Del you know I'm dedicating a lot more time my road map to this second product a lot earlier then what are the things you can look for to try to figure that out so if you talk to people historica..."

11
18:49 - 20:01
1:12 duration267 words

Market Size and Growth Rate Considerations

Casey discusses the significance of market size and growth rates when deciding to launch a second product. He provides examples of companies like Shopify and emphasizes the need to assess revenue opportunities and product adjacencies. This segment offers valuable insights into market analysis for product development.

"other things that matter in terms of when you need to build a second product is what's the size of the First Market you're you're targeting and what's the growth rate up right so uh we're going to tal..."

12
20:01 - 21:39
1:37 duration332 words

Comparing Pinterest and Snapchat's Growth Strategies

Casey compares the growth strategies of Pinterest and Snapchat, highlighting their different approaches to competition, acquisition, and monetization. He explains how Pinterest leveraged SEO for growth while Snapchat relied on virality. This segment illustrates how understanding competition and market dynamics can influence product development decisions.

"example uh in the consumer space so um I joined cist at the end of 2013 and um we had launched around the same time a Snapchat so these were two companies that were compared pretty closely because the..."

13
21:39 - 23:08
1:28 duration328 words

The Evolution of Core Products

In this segment, Casey discusses how the core products of Pinterest and Snapchat evolved post-product-market fit. He explains how Pinterest shifted from a friend graph to an interest graph to enhance user engagement, while Snapchat focused on launching new products. This analysis provides insights into adapting core products to meet changing user needs.

"growing via verality uh right you would think verality would have higher acquisition potential it usually grow a bit faster you know on brity versus versus SEO um so that's why I have that Medium vers..."

14
23:08 - 24:40
1:32 duration308 words

Lessons from Second Product Launches

Casey shares lessons learned from the second product launches of Pinterest and Snapchat. He highlights the challenges both companies faced and the differing outcomes of their product strategies. This segment emphasizes the importance of aligning product development with market needs and user engagement.

"stream as as based businesses so mod look like a challenge for step um both are in extremely large markets extremely growing markets um and they uh while Pinterest had expansion opportunities around o..."

15
24:40 - 27:00
2:19 duration501 words

Evaluating Product-Led Growth in SaaS

In this final segment, Casey evaluates product-led growth strategies in SaaS companies, using examples from companies he has worked with. He discusses the competitive landscape and the importance of understanding product differentiation. This segment wraps up the discussion on strategic product development in the tech industry.

"want to necessarily see you know all the stuff that she's saving you have very different interest so we moved away from a friend graph to a topic graph or an interest graph and we asked you what conte..."

16
26:28 - 27:57
1:28 duration293 words

Figma vs. Canva: Competing in Design Products

In this segment, Casey Winters analyzes the competitive landscape between Figma and Canva, emphasizing how Figma's focus on product designers contrasts with Canva's broader appeal. He discusses user retention strategies and monetization potential, illustrating how both companies evolved their product offerings to capture market share.

"valued at about the same certainly seemed like Snapchat had a much harder Road um so you can see just because you're a consumer product doesn't mean you don't necessarily need a second product to scal..."

17
27:57 - 29:06
1:09 duration255 words

Acquisition Strategies: Figma's Growth Model

Casey Winters elaborates on Figma's user acquisition strategy, which leverages product-led growth by targeting individual designers. He contrasts this with Canva's approach, which has relied on consumer techniques and SEO to drive growth, highlighting the differences in their paths to scaling.

"business teachers individuals so that ability to share content than they get other people to pay because they're also going to create content was lower um which meant the monetization potential uh was..."

18
29:06 - 30:36
1:29 duration338 words

Product Development and Market Fit Challenges

Winters discusses the challenges both Figma and Canva faced in developing new products. He highlights how Figma's community product struggled to find market fit while Canva's presentation tool successfully scaled, showcasing the importance of aligning product development with market needs.

"entire company uh C was trying to make that work but I wouldn't say that's really been a driver of its growth so far but Camp was able to leverage some more consumer techniques to grow SEO is the one ..."

19
30:36 - 32:04
1:28 duration323 words

Marketplace Dynamics: GrubHub vs. Instacart

In this segment, Casey Winters compares GrubHub and Instacart, focusing on their marketplace dynamics. He explains how GrubHub's second product, Pickup, failed to find product-market fit and cannibalized its core offering, while Instacart successfully introduced ads to enhance profitability, illustrating the complexities of scaling marketplaces.

"to see that you know thingo tried to get acquired for 20 billion you know federal government had some things to say about that so I put in their last you know uh MEC valuation which was 10 but both th..."

20
32:04 - 33:36
1:32 duration326 words

Consumer Subscription Models: Duolingo and Calm

Casey Winters explores the consumer subscription landscape through the lens of Duolingo and Calm. He discusses the challenges of retaining customers in this space and how both companies approached their second product launches, with Calm's sleep stories finding success while Duolingo's tiny cards did not.

"what this means is when you're looking at these attributes right of competition how well you're able to acquire retain monetize growth in the markets adjacencies you have to be looking at these variab..."

21
33:36 - 34:56
1:19 duration279 words

Expanding Market Reach: Calm's Strategy

Winters highlights Calm's strategic expansion into sleep-related products, emphasizing the broader market potential compared to meditation. He discusses how bundling meditation and sleep content increased retention rates, showcasing the importance of product-market fit in consumer subscription services.

"very well because while grub maybe some consider a little bit of an old school Marketplace at this point basically all it's doing is connecting buyers and sellers and facilitating payments the restaur..."

22
37:36 - 39:00
1:23 duration278 words

The Challenge of Subscription Retention

Casey Winters discusses the difficulties of retaining customers in subscription-based models, highlighting the irrational behavior of consumers and the financial implications for companies like Duolingo and Calm. He explains how these companies have evolved their growth strategies, including the introduction of gamification and paid acquisition, to enhance user engagement and retention.

"subscription has always been really difficult to retain customers um consumers are irrational they don't have as much money as businesses um so you don't have net dollar retention so the people that s..."

23
39:00 - 40:40
1:40 duration358 words

Product Launch Success: Duolingo vs. Calm

In this segment, Casey compares the product launches of Duolingo and Calm, focusing on their second products. He explains how Calm's sleep stories succeeded due to the universal need for sleep, while Duolingo's Tiny Cards failed. This illustrates the importance of market size and product fit in determining the success of new offerings.

"growth and they started trying to create these hacks for daily engagement like the daily column and push notifications okay so they also tried to launch their second products around the same time uh d..."

24
40:40 - 42:20
1:40 duration354 words

Strategic Product Development Insights

Casey shares insights on how companies should approach new product development, emphasizing the need for strategic thinking and understanding market dynamics. He discusses the importance of timing and the necessity for companies to innovate when their core products begin to plateau, rather than relying on random innovations.

"these markets that are you know sizable but not infinite we're going to need new products to work um I think what you also see in all of these examples is that new products are less likely to work whe..."

25
42:20 - 44:00
1:40 duration341 words

The Role of Founders in New Product Development

In this segment, Casey stresses the critical role founders play in new product development. He argues that founders should not outsource this responsibility, as their involvement is crucial for guiding teams and ensuring that new products align with the company's growth strategy and market needs.

"going to bet big on some new thing uh that probably attacks the biggest weakness in their grow with MAA whether it's the retention side or the acquisition side or the ability to monetize um and you're..."

26
44:00 - 45:40
1:40 duration347 words

Measuring Success in New Product Development

Casey discusses how to measure success in new product development, arguing that traditional metrics may not apply. He emphasizes the importance of learning and adapting rather than focusing solely on immediate revenue or user acquisition, highlighting the need for a feedback loop to refine product strategies.

"arrow okay so uh Switching gears if you're working on a new product uh how do you know if it's actually successful inside a company and you know as D mentioned earlier we have pretty great Frameworks ..."

27
45:40 - 47:20
1:40 duration367 words

Common Pitfalls in New Product Launches

Casey outlines common pitfalls companies face when launching new products, including misjudging the effort required to achieve product-market fit and pursuing misguided product ideas. He shares examples from his experiences at Pinterest and Tinder to illustrate these challenges.

"launch a second product than a first product right it's just like yes and no because while you really only need one of these three to work when it works it has to work big enough so that eventually it..."

28
47:20 - 49:00
1:40 duration319 words

The Importance of Learning in Product Development

In this segment, Casey emphasizes the need for a learning-oriented approach in product development. He explains that success may take time and that teams should focus on validating assumptions and understanding market needs rather than rushing to achieve specific metrics.

"know that were there once the company was already 100 people and you know had thousands of customers um they're generally not going to be good at navigating the second product problem so I recommend F..."

29
49:00 - 52:20
3:20 duration768 words

Navigating Market Dynamics for New Products

Casey discusses how to navigate market dynamics when developing new products, stressing the importance of targeting the right audience and ensuring that new offerings enhance overall company growth. He shares insights from his work with various companies to illustrate effective strategies.

"before we're winning if we even get there it's going to be are we learning something that gets C closer to the pot of gold and we have a better understanding of what the shape and size of that pot of ..."

30
52:40 - 53:31
0:51 duration225 words

Identifying Growth Model Weaknesses

In this segment, Casey discusses the necessity of aligning new product initiatives with the overall growth model of a company. He shares experiences from his work with various startups, illustrating how misaligned projects can detract from meaningful growth and retention.

"they're like the only thing they're coming back to you as as a leader or a Founder is saying like well this didn't work this didn't work but they're not like because this didn't work I learned x and x..."

31
53:31 - 54:00
0:29 duration107 words

Forecasting Growth with Data

Casey explains how to effectively forecast growth by analyzing historical data and market trends. He shares his experience at GrubHub, detailing how they used data to model growth and set realistic market expansion goals, emphasizing the importance of understanding conversion rates and supply dynamics.

"any take questions awesome thanks a lot ccie yeah great talk I have a question real quick so you have I love S curves and you were saying hey well when the team projects that their current scurve is g..."

32
54:00 - 54:59
0:58 duration242 words

The Role of Network Effects

In this segment, Casey discusses the significance of network effects in product strategy. He explains how cross-side network effects can enhance user value and drive growth, sharing insights from his experiences with various companies and emphasizing the need for a strategic focus on these effects.

"right so um we kind of build an understanding of how our cross Network effect is working and then I start to basically turn what I showed today as a qualitative model which is like you map on a whiteb..."

33
54:59 - 56:01
1:02 duration240 words

Navigating Product Strategy Challenges

Casey addresses the complexities of product strategy in relation to competitive landscapes and company stages. He shares insights on how to evaluate product-market fit and the importance of adapting strategies as companies evolve from early-stage startups to established players.

"of the year and we're 99.3% to goal because in reality it's just like a super trackable business uh you know a geographic Marketplace um so once you have the back data you can you know reasonably fore..."

34
56:01 - 57:00
0:58 duration210 words

Amazon's Product Expansion Strategy

Casey analyzes Amazon's approach to product expansion, highlighting how they transitioned from selling books to a diverse marketplace. He discusses the challenges faced during category expansions and the importance of understanding product-market fit in different sectors.

"times hi uh thanks for the talk uh I just have a question it seems like a lot of product strategy is um identifying what the product work you need to do depending on the like competitive landscape and..."

35
57:00 - 58:02
1:02 duration227 words

The Offline-Online Value Delivery Challenge

In this segment, Casey explores the challenges of delivering value in businesses that operate both online and offline. He shares examples from GrubHub and Airbnb, discussing how companies must take responsibility for offline experiences to maintain customer satisfaction and trust.

"building cross-side Network effects and then then Data Network effects I think what I've seen with other consumer companies uh that I've worked with or that I've been employed by is even if they're a ..."

36
58:02 - 59:03
1:01 duration188 words

Marketplace vs. Platform Dynamics

Casey differentiates between marketplace and platform business models, explaining how both rely on cross-side network effects. He discusses the initial stages of building a platform and the importance of creating a strong core product before attracting third-party developers.

"so I can kind of say like oh I recognize that's like a good brand but I'm not gonna be the one that builds that for you um so that's just I'm like honed in on that one but it's definitely not the the ..."

37
1:02:56 - 1:03:49
0:53 duration178 words

Innovative Measurement Strategies

Casey Winters discusses the importance of inventing measurement strategies when data is lacking. He contrasts the approaches of apartment.com and rent.com in capturing lead conversion data, emphasizing the need for creative solutions to understand user behavior and improve business models.

"measurement of so you have to go find a way to invent measurement of it right which is so uh like survey based right so at apartment.com um we charged on subscription um because we couldn't really tel..."

38
1:03:49 - 1:05:54
2:05 duration432 words

Platforms vs. Marketplaces: Understanding the Differences

In this segment, Casey explains the distinctions between platforms and marketplaces, highlighting their similarities in network effects. He outlines the initial B2B SaaS model for platforms and the challenges of achieving product-market fit, using examples from his experience at Eventbrite and Shopify.

"a lot of times I'm working with like we don't actually have the data if we did our job how do we go get the data do we Institute a survey do we Institute a right in the case of GrubHub do we actually ..."

39
1:05:54 - 1:09:30
3:35 duration803 words

Unlocking Marketplace Liquidity

Casey delves into the concept of liquidity in marketplaces, explaining the dual focus on supply and demand. He shares insights from GrubHub's experience, detailing the metrics necessary for success and the importance of maintaining a balance between supply and demand to achieve sustainable growth.

"Eventbrite was launching a platform strategy when I joined I said we can't even service our internal developers well what's the chances of us serving our external developers well shut it down and so w..."

40
1:09:30 - 1:11:54
2:24 duration508 words

Strategies for Market Expansion

Discussing market expansion strategies, Casey reflects on the importance of subsidizing one side of the marketplace to ensure the other side thrives. He shares practical examples from GrubHub's approach to building demand before launching supply, emphasizing the need for patience and strategic planning.

"about double the time of B2B SAS um so out of the clients I've worked with uh Thumbtack I think took the longest it took four years to get the product Market fit uh fair I think was the fastest around..."

41
1:11:54 - 1:15:51
3:56 duration832 words

The Liquidity Game: Capital and Growth

Casey contrasts the liquidity game played by newer startups with the scalable growth strategies of established companies. He discusses the implications of capital raised by competitors and how it affects market dynamics, using GrubHub's early experiences to illustrate the challenges of maintaining a competitive edge.

"restaurant can get an extra catering order or delivery order they just take it kind of no matter what they might complain about the fees but like they think of it it's extremely profitable to get thos..."

42
1:15:51 - 1:17:44
1:53 duration375 words

SEO's Evolving Role in Growth Strategies

In this segment, Casey evaluates the relevance of SEO as an acquisition channel for startups. He discusses the changing landscape of SEO, the impact of AI-generated content, and the challenges new companies face in competing with established brands for search visibility.

"in food delivery so grup was like 12 or 30 years back um is SEO as a acquisition channel is it still relevant is still as important as it was before uh okay so it's it's ebed and flowed right so um so..."

43
1:18:07 - 1:19:04
0:57 duration197 words

The Role of Paid Acquisition Strategies

Casey Winters evaluates the effectiveness of paid acquisition strategies for startups, noting that they often lead to diminishing returns as user acquisition costs rise. He discusses the importance of balancing paid strategies with organic growth methods and highlights the evolving landscape of sales efficiency in both marketplaces and SaaS companies.

"we're convert it and they're they're growing incredibly fast but they're not doing only pickle ball they do other stuff golf tennis whatever right so uh sometimes you see that with new technologies ri..."

44
1:19:04 - 1:21:04
2:00 duration387 words

Leveraging Social Media for Growth

In this segment, Casey shares his excitement about leveraging social media platforms like TikTok and Instagram for growth. He discusses how these platforms can serve as untapped channels for SEO-like strategies, allowing startups to reach audiences in ways that traditional search engines no longer can. He emphasizes the need for effective content creation to penetrate these networks.

"of times I'm cautioning it for it being the thing that the only strategy you've got so y door door there by saying it's not your favorite what are some of the other channels that you are finding peopl..."

45
1:21:04 - 1:23:05
2:00 duration400 words

Structuring Teams for Product Growth

Casey Winters outlines the organizational structure necessary for successfully launching new products within larger companies. He shares his experiences at Eventbrite and Tinder, discussing the importance of having dedicated teams and clear incentives tied to product success. He highlights the challenges of integrating new products into existing company structures while maintaining focus on growth.

"nent as like a growth Loop um so that's probably where I'm most excited um I I'll give you a couple names off stream I don't want to I don't want to blow their spot thanks Casey it's very thought-prov..."

46
1:23:05 - 1:24:43
1:38 duration318 words

Incentivizing Product Leaders and Teams

In this final segment, Casey discusses how to incentivize product leaders and their teams when launching new initiatives. He shares examples from his time at Eventbrite and Tinder, explaining how different compensation structures, including independent stock options, can motivate teams to drive growth and innovation while navigating the complexities of corporate ownership.

"match group has a ton of mostly mature dating apps and Tinder was the the fast growing one now um uh the founders founders of Tinder and a lot of early employees actually sued match group over this se..."